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From McLaren orange to Ferrari red and Aston Martin green, lots of car manufacturers have their signature colours. Even the great grandfather of the industry had his favourite, Mr. Any-Colour-As-Long-As-It’s-Black Ford. So when Girard-Perregaux became the wristwatch partner to Aston Martin it’s no surprise that a lot of their collaborations, like the Laureato Ceramic Aston Martin take green as a central thematic colour. Green is also at the centre of their latest collab watch, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition with a new iridescent green dial.

Let’s jump right to that dial. It’s a tricompax chronograph with the new iridescent green dominating the display. The precise tone is inspired by the metallic finish of Aston Martin’s automotive paint, which was carefully replicated in horological form using carefully developed techniques. Achieving the sparkling finish requires 15 layers of paint and two separate cooking cycles and if any errors occur at any stage of the process the entire dial is ruined. It’s inspired by the techniques used by Aston Martin in the car industry but produced to an even more exacting standard. As the paint needs to be filtered to remove the largest grains that give it the shimmering texture otherwise the dial would look coarse and rough.

As to the shade of green itself, I’m personally not completely sold on it. Perhaps it’s just the pictures not doing it justice but it feels like an unsatisfying mix of lime and sage green almost, the result of which is more like Kermit’s skin tone than even the actual Oris Kermit. However, because it’s iridescent I am completely open to the idea that in the metal it looks great when you can actually experience the shimmer and shifting colours, which Girard-Perregaux describe as blending between green and orange depending on the lighting conditions.

Focussing in on the details, the subdials are presented in grey PVD to match the tone of the grade 5 titanium case which is a touch more scratch resistant than the usual grade 2. The central hands and baton hour markers are then sharp and angular in a mirror of the angular features of Aston Martin’s signature grill, especially on recent DB12 models. They work well in conjunction with the characteristic octagon bezel of the 42mm case.

Housed inside the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition case is the GP03300-2451 automatic movement with 46-hour power reserve. It’s beautifully finished with Côtes de Genève as seen through the exhibition caseback. The chronograph complication consists of central chronograph seconds, a 30-minute timer and a 12-hour timer, which complement the stand hours, minutes, small seconds and date functions.

I like how this watch really highlights the Aston Martin partnership by drawing on automotive inspiration. From the colour to the lightweight but durable titanium case and of course the dial details based on elements of the DB12 Priced at £19,300 it’s in the mid-range of Laureato prices. You just have to hope the iridescent tone really comes to life person otherwise it does feel a bit like just another green Laureato.

More details at Girard-Perregaux.

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The idea of an atlas watch, a watch with a picture of the world on its dial, is nothing new. In fact, when it comes to certain complications such as dual time zones and especially worldtimers they’re downright common. The issue is that atlas dials can often overwhelm whatever timepiece they’re on, featuring fiddly details and sitting at odds with the style of the rest of the watch. It’s also tricky to reimagine this style of dial in an innovative way because the world is the world and that’s what watchmakers have to work with. However, back in 2016 Laurent Ferrier did manage to reinvent the atlas display and on the occasion of their 15^th anniversary in 2025 they’re bringing that dial back, though updated, with the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue.

That reinvention I mention is actually a very simple change. Instead of presenting the globe during the day or via a technical map-like interpretation like the vast majority of watches, they present the globe at night. It’s right there in the watch’s name: Globe Night. It’s amazing how much of an impact this relatively simple change has. Instead of vivid greens and blues it bathes the entire dial in nocturnal navy blue giving it a cool minimalist vibe that fits the restrained aesthetic of the rest of the watch. Plus, by picking out population centres with golden accents it replicates the glows of cities, which provides a huge amount of visual interest to the display.

The original 2016 version achieved this display using engraved white gold for the continents and enamel for the oceans. When updating the design for the Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue they decided to opt for champleve enamel for the entire thing instead, creating a more cohesive appearance. Even the golden lights are hand-painted with enamel. It makes for a super smooth, matte display that really captures your attention. It was also far more difficult to execute because the enamel had to be layered on top of the convex white gold dial below that creates the globe shape.

As for the rest of the dial, it’s the Classic Traveller sans small seconds subdial. At 3 o’clock is the date indicator and at 9 is the second time zone display that makes this model a dual time zone. You can use the central hour hand to track local time while the second display tracks home time, ideal for globetrotting. Plus, the small pushers on the flank of the case allow you to quickly jump the central hour hand forward or backwards in one hour intervals for hopping across time zone borders.

Powering the piece is the Calibre LF230.02, an automatic micro-rotor movement with 72-hour power reserve. Thanks to its silicon components it also has improved magnetic field resistance, which is useful when travelling around the world and experiencing fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field. Which is the most common magnetic field that your watches experience unless you happen to work with specific lab equipment or powerful electronics regularly.

As for price, the 41mm white gold watch with metier d’art dial will set you back CHF 90,000 (approx. £79,250).  Meaning the Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue is definitely up there in the region of the most prestigious watches in the industry. But then, this is a celebration of Laurent Ferrier’s 15^th anniversary so why shouldn’t they go all out on the luxury.

More details at Laurent Ferrier.

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One of the things I love about horology is the vast array of styles and designs out there. Frankly it keeps the job interesting when one moment I’m writing about a technical tool watch designed to tackle the ocean depths and the next I’m writing about an artistic flight of fancy with immaculate finishing. And there are few watches as artistic and fanciful as Hermès’ Arceau range. Now the French maison is pushing the collection even further by introducing meteorite versions of the  Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune and updated renditions of the Hermès Arceau Le temps voyageur.

Arceau L’heure de la lune

Starting with the Arceau L’heure de la lune Meteorite, there are three editions, each featuring slight variations across their cases and dials. The technical stats that are the same across all three are that they measure 43mm in diameter and house the H1837 movement with 40-hour power reserve and L’heure de la lune module. The module works by rotating the time display dial and date display dial around the face of the watch, slowly covering and revealing the static moons to show the phases of the moon in the Earth’s two hemispheres simultaneously.

The first of the limited editions is the Arceau L’heure de la lune Blue Grey. Its case is made from white gold with a titanium bezel that has a blue DLC coating for added scratch resistance and to create the titular blue grey colourway. The base of the display here features lunar meteorite, made of rock from the moon that has fallen to Earth as meteors. So yes, this is a moonphase made from an actual piece of the moon. It’s a fun contrast when you consider that the moons depicted on the dial are fictionalised designs created by Dimitri Rybaltchenko featuring the Hermès Pegasus.

Second up is Arceau L’heure de la lune Vesta. This version swaps the case to rose gold with a titanium bezel that now has a dark grey DLC coating. The meteorite that’s front and centre here comes from an asteroid called Vesta, which is technically large enough to be classified as a minor planet, a classification that includes a number of asteroids and dwarf planets. It has a dark brown colour due to the different material compositions that make up Vesta compared to the bright silver we typically associate with meteorite.

Last but by no means least is the Arceau L’heure de la lune Erg Chech, the most luxurious of the three with a white gold case and rose gold bezel. Its dial is made from a piece of the Erg Chech meteorite, named after the Saharan region it was found in. The Earth is estimated to be 4.543 billion years old and the Erg Chech meteorite is believed to be 4.566 billion years old, making it older than the planet itself. That’s pretty nuts. The three watches are exclusively available in 12 limited edition sets, each at £207,000.

Arceau Le temps voyageur

Back in 2022 Hermès introduced the Arceau Le temps voyageur as a brand new worldtimer complication with a platinum case. Now, they’re revisiting the design in two new editions in gold. They both house the H1837 movement using an adapted version of the L’heure de la lune module to rotate the time display around the dial at a rate of once per 24-hours instead of the multi-day dance of the moonphase variant. The position of the dial in relation to the peripheral world cities scale is how it displays the second time zone.

The Hermès Arceau Le temps voyageur Or blanc has a 41mm white gold case, which you might have been able to gather if you know your French. It has a grey lacquer dial below the rotating time display. Interestingly, the atlas shown on the display isn’t the Earth, instead showing a map from Jérôme Colliard’s Planisphère d’un monde équestre silk scarf. It’s the equivalent to the Pegasus in the moon from the lune models, a fictionalised version of our world blended with French passion and artistry. And horses. Lots of horses.

Turning the luxury setting up even higher is the Hermès Arceau Le temps voyageur Or rose et diaments, which French tells us is rose gold and diamond. Indeed the 38mm case is golden with that classic rosy hue and the bezel is set with 78 diamonds, making it the most feminine edition of the Le temps voyageur to date. That impression is furthered by the mother-of-pearl hour and minute dial as well as the opaline display beneath. Both versions are £36,980 despite the differences in size and materials.

More details at Hermès.

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A few authorized U.S. dealers (Arizona Fine Time, Ben Bridge), along with Casio.com/us, have released the G-Shock Fine Metallic Series featuring stainless steel bezels and the highly reflective Tough Silicone Band. Unlike Casio.com, those dealers have only released four of the six models and not the gold GM2100YMG9A9 ($300) or silver GM5600YM-8A8 ($280). In Singapore […]

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G-Shocks have a reputation for durability, practicality and accessibility, which they’ve built up over a 40 year history. They’re tough as old boots while having a rugged style and a price tag that for the most part stays in the sub £700 mark. However, that’s not exclusively the case because Casio also produce a prestige line called the MR-G that explores more advanced watchmaking techniques and materials, resulting in prices that compete with the likes of Oris and high end Seikos. The latest addition to this line, the MRGB2100R-2A, is steadily being expanded across Casio’s global markets from Japan to the UK and now America.

Starting with the case, it measures a broad 44.4mm in diameter, which is in keeping with the G-Shock’s larger than life sports watch presence. As a prestige model it’s made from Ti64 titanium that’s undergone a hardening process in order to ensure a good level of scratch resistance and durability to complement the shock resistant multi-part construction, which also has a water resistance rating of 200m. It has an ion-plated finish in black with navy accents on the shoulders of the octagonal design.

Speaking of octagons, the MR-G MRGB2100R-2A bezel is also in the collection’s signature shape. It’s inspired by legendary integrated bracelet sports watch design from the 1970s, paying particular tribute to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. It’s also made of a different material to the case, using Casio’s proprietary Cobarion alloy, which is four-times harder than titanium with a high lustrous shine, though here it’s protected by that ion-plated finish. It’s super tough, just as you’d expect from a G-Shock.

As for the dial, it’s inspired by traditional Japanese arts. The geometric pattern with ridges and lines has a dual purpose: it allows light to pass through the dial efficiently to power the solar quartz movement below while also paying homage to the Japanese art of kigumi, a woodworking method that uses lattice like structures without any metal nails or joinings. The colour comes from ao-zumi, a rich blue ink used in sumi calligraphy.

Compared to some G-Shocks that cram as much information as physically possible onto their displays, this one is relatively pared back. It has central hours, minutes and seconds, a date at 3 o’clock and a subdial at 7:30 that displays date along with indicators relating to the Bluetooth® and radio-controlled multi band 6 precision quartz movement. Being a radio-controlled movement means it can keep time with atomic precision, ensuring it’s always accurate no matter where in the world you are.

Between the high-quality titanium case, traditional Japanese style dial and advanced movement, the MR-G MRGB2100R-2A has a fairly substantial price by G-Shock standards. In the UK, where it has been available since January, it’s £3,300 while over in the US where it is being introduced for the first time today, it’s $3,800. I always enjoy seeing cool watches achieving global success and spread to new markets. It gives me hope that some of the coolest Japanese exclusives might eventually make their way to the UK, though perhaps that’s wishful thinking.

More details at G-Shock.

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WatchDavid reviews the new G-Shock Fine Metallic Series featuring stainless steel bezels and the all-new Tough Silicone Band. The band offers a very reflective finish that looks like polished metal, which is the result of a mid-layer vapor deposition protected by a clear resin outer layer.  

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Japanese news site Mynavi revealed two new G-Shock GM-110 models that are coming to Japan in March and expected to be released worldwide. These models are notable for having a stainless steel bezel and being the first GM-110 models with a stainless steel band. They also reportedly have a center case made of resin and […]

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In an industry as broad as horology where brands with heritages centuries long rub shoulders with microbrands run out of people’s garages (sometimes literally), it’s no surprise that there is an equally broad range of styles and designs out there. Which means sometimes you come across an interesting, niche novelty that leads you down a rabbit hole of awesome vintage designs. Case in point, the Furlan Marri Disco Volante. After its launch in the summer of last year, I simply had to learn more about the UFO shaped watches that inspired it.

Omega CK2013, image credit: Phillips

The term Disco Volante means flying disk, as in the classic saucer shape of sci-fi spaceships. In wristwatch circles it refers to a completely circular design without lugs or protruding crowns that makes for a distinctive round shape. Something the 38mm case of the Furlan Marri Disco Volante replicates brilliantly. The earliest examples of the Disco Volante design can be traced to the early 20^th century and the Omega CK2013.

Released in 1932 the CK2013 epitomised the key aspects of the flying saucer style with vintage proportions of 39mm, a smooth bezel and a domed sapphire crystal. That dome means that a profile silhouette of the watch has the distinctive flat circle and central cockpit of the stereotypical UFO. It also sports an Art Deco dial with sector display, railway minute track and in many references a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Interestingly, original sketches and advertising show a full size crown but it appears that by the time the watches went to production it had been shrunk to fit within the diameter of the case to create the uninterrupted circular shape.

Vacheron Constantin Disco Volante, image credit: Analog:Shift

Following in the wake of the CK2013, the Disco Volante design had an immediate period of popularity. Vacheron Constantin produced a watch that like Furlan Marri’s modern interpretation was also called simply the Disco Volante. Though in classic VC fashion it’s much more about the finishing and decorative arts than Omega’s version, featuring a Clous de Paris bezel and matching guilloché sector dial.

Audemars Piguet also had a go at the saucer shaped design in the 1950s, designed by Gebhard Duve whose contributions to AP’s heritage have been frustratingly overshadowed by one Gerald Genta a few decades later. Their Disco Volante actually follows more in the footsteps of Vacheron’s rendition of the style rather than Omega, featuring the same Clous de Paris finishing on the bezel. The bezel is also particularly wide, sitting around the relatively normal, central dial.

After the 1950s the popularity of the design began to wane in the watch industry. However, the Disco Volante name was still used in other industries such as motoring. In 1952 Alfa Romeo created an experimental series of cars with flared, rounded bodies called the Disco Volante Spider. They were developed in wind tunnels in an effort to improve aerodynamics. They never quite achieved inter-galactic flight but they’re seriously cool all the same.

Jumping forward more than half a century we come to the Furlan Marri Disco Volante. With its slim steel case and sector dial design its design codes arc all the way back to that original Omega rather than the slightly later gold models from VC or AP. Though while it may be vintage in its inspiration it still has modern elements to its design such as an innovative use of lume to frame the display in low light conditions. It’s proof, if it were needed, that sometimes following unconventional designs from the past can lead to modern gems.

More details at Furlan Marri.

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Watching Formula One as a fan can be a stressful endeavour. Imagine then the stress of sitting on the sidelines as Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, and watching the team you have shepherded for years try to reclaim glory. It would be enough to make you punch your fist, forgetting that you happen to be wearing a very expensive IWC Perpetual Calendar – something he’s been filmed doing multiple times. Evidently IWC are concerned about the safety of the watches on Wolff’s wrist because they’ve created the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One™ Team.

As the name implies, the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL is all about reducing the g-force from shocks and bumps that are transmitted from the watch’s case to the movement. If you’ve ever pulled up a watch’s tech sheet and seen words like Incabloc, Nivachoc or Diashock, these are the most common shock resistance systems. Largely they all operate in similar ways, suspending the core components of the movement (particularly the balance wheel) on springs that flex and absorb energy when the watch is shocked. If you’ve ever dropped a watch and it’s still ticking, it probably has a shock resistance system.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL takes that idea even further by replacing those springs with their SPRIN-g PROTECT® shock absorber system. It uses a cantilever spring made from bulk metallic glass to evenly spread force across its entire length and width, cushioning the movement. Bulk metallic glass is a metallic alloy that’s rapidly cooled in such a way that it gains exceptional hardness and elasticity – the last time I heard of its use in watchmaking was on the bezel of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo”  Extra-Thin 16202XT. Providing superior protection from shocks.

For the Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team edition of the watch they’ve dressed it in the team’s colours. Which means a black ceratanium case, measuring a broad 44mm x 12.6mm, combined with Petronas green accents. The cushion shaped ring around the edge of the central dial is actually the SPRIN-g PROTECT® shock absorber on display, coloured Petronas green and coated with lume. The display in the middle is actually as straight forward as they come compared to the complexity of the watch around it, featuring a time only display with hours, minutes and seconds.

So, what is the movement that has had so much effort gone into protecting from violently shaken fists, whether that be in celebration or frustration? It’s the Calibre 32101 with a whopping 120-hour power reserve, equivalent to five days. It’s also got a blacked out finish visible through the tinted sapphire glass exhibition caseback, which sports Toto Wolff’s signature.

It’s a limited edition of 100 pieces at a price of £79,700, making it pretty damn exclusive. You’d probably need a job along the lines of being the CEO of an F1 team to buy one. If you want to see Toto actually wearing the watch, he’s due to wear it at tomorrow’s (February 18^th) F1® 75 Live at The O2 Area event.

More details at IWC.

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The all-new G-Shock GA-V01 series was officially unveiled in China on February 16, and it is now apparent that the unique innovations of this watch are mostly based on its appearance rather than its functions. Along with what looks like an integrated band and bezel structure (like the GA-B001), the watch has a very unusual […]

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